Hear ye, Hear ye!

Over the course of the next week, I am calling for submissions from you!

Yes, YOU.

The person sitting in front of the screen reading this random nonsense. I appreciate that about you, the fact that you stick with me and read my random nonsense.

On April 22, 2010 I am declaring a Self-Empowerment Day!
(If this day exists in real life, please let me know, but my declared day on April 22 will also exist.)

What do I want from YOU? I want two things.

FIRST: I want your favorite self-portrait. A picture you took of yourself--just you, no one else. Maybe on your computer, in the mirror, by turning your camera around and clicking it, perhaps you're an expert with the timer. Maybe it's a close-up of your favorite part of your face. Do you love your nose? Your fantastic ears? Your smile?

SECOND: I want a paragraph (not a novel) about what you love about this picture and what you love about yourself. Be real. Be true to yourself. Take a good, long look and tell yourself. Do you have a favorite feature? Personality trait? Skill? Talent? I won't think you're arrogant, unless you tell me that your favorite thing about yourself is that you're rolling in bucket-loads of money. Then I might punch you in the baby maker.

I'm hoping to have at least 10 different people to put up on April 22. If I have more, I would love, love, LOVE that.

This is my submission example(I love the self-timer route of self-portrait):

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amy

I'm not fully smiling in this picture. I love my smile, but sometimes I think it's radiance overshadows my eyes. Here, I'm drawn to my eyes. Although I don't look like my brothers, we all have the same eye color, brown in the middle with green at the edges. I like looking in the mirror and seeing that resemblance staring back at me especially since we don't get to see each other enough. My eyes are what allow me to see the world around me. They take in color and light. They compose a picture before I can bring a camera to my face. Eyes show as much joy, sorrow, compassion, pain, warmth, gentleness, welcoming and love as the rest of our bodies. My favorite things to see are sunrise and sunset. Without my eyes, I would miss out on much of my blessed, beautiful life.

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By sharing the beauty we see within ourselves, we can inspire others to see beauty within themselves. 

Embrace your creativity, embrace your ability to see yourself as the gorgeous human being you are.

The deets: Please edit your picture (crop it, adjust color, straighten it--all that jazz) however you want it posted. Please keep your paragraph succinct and to the point. Tell us a story, have a conversation with yourself, love yourself. NO QUALIFIERS! Example of a qualifier: I have pretty eyes, but only when I take time to put on eyeshadow and mascara. You know what I have to say to that: try again! Shoot me an email at aehoff@gmail.com with your submission or any questions. Thanks!